Tennis star Zheng Qinwen suffered a shocking defeat to Germany’s Laura Siegemund at the Australian Open. The 22-year-old, who was the No. 5 seed and reached the final last year, lost the match 7-6(3), 6-3. Siegemund’s strong serve and ability to disrupt Zheng’s game ultimately led to her downfall.
Zheng had regained the match from being down 0-2 in the second set but made several critical errors, including two double faults that handed Siegemund control of the set. The German player’s nerves remained steady as she held off a tough challenge from Zheng throughout the first set before dominating the decisive fourth game.
The deciding factor was forced errors, with Siegemund extracting 31 mistakes from Zheng while conceding just 13. Despite her impressive serve statistics, Zheng struggled to find consistency, with only four aces in the second set and two double faults that cost her the match.
Zheng’s exit will leave a significant void at this year’s Australian Open, particularly for fans of Chinese tennis who had grown fond of the popular player. The 36-year-old Siegemund has emerged as one of the top contenders, potentially setting up a showdown with Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6062915/2025/01/14/zheng-qinwen-australian-open-result-siegemund